Building permits, zoning and land rules in Scott County, Iowa

Scott County requires building permits for listed construction, alterations, repairs, replacements and demolition in unincorporated areas¹. Decks, garages, roofing, plumbing, heating and electrical work are examples; pools at least 24 inches deep, sheds over 120 square feet and fences over 6 feet also require building permits¹. Minor repairs, qualifying agricultural work and accessory structures no larger than 120 square feet are listed exemptions¹. Scott County lists the 2021 building, residential, property-maintenance and pool codes and the 2015 energy code, with local amendments, plus state-adopted electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes⁴. Building permit fees depend on estimated work valuation; a new house has a $100 plan-review charge credited toward the building permit fee, and reinspection or additional trips cost $50 per trip¹¹. Starting work without a required building permit adds an investigation fee equal to the permit fee¹². Iowa exempts own-property work from contractor registration, but that exemption does not waive local building permits or inspections⁷.

Scott County Planning & Development issues building permits and performs inspections in unincorporated Scott County, including Park View⁴. The office is at 600 W. 4th St. Davenport, IA 52801-1003; call 563-326-8643⁴. Planning & Development also provides building permits and inspections for Dixon, Donahue, LeClaire, Long Grove, McCausland, Panorama Park, Princeton and Riverdale through intergovernmental agreements⁴. Applicants in those cities must obtain city zoning approval before submitting a county building-permit application⁴. Private septic and well programs remain with Scott County Health Department Environmental Health Services at 563-326-8618⁵. Other incorporated cities may have separate building-permit and zoning processes; county construction codes apply within cities only by city option and agreement⁴.

Chapter 6 governs zoning in unincorporated Scott County, and current zoning districts appear in the county GIS zoning layer². Height limits vary by district and use, so ask Planning & Development which dimensional rules apply to the proposed home^2,13. Scott County dwelling units must have at least 640 square feet, be at least 20 feet wide for at least 75% of the narrowest dimension, sit on a permanent foundation and be taxed as real property³. Agricultural exemptions require the claimant to demonstrate that the property and buildings are primarily adapted and used for agriculture by a farmer; floodplain requirements still apply¹¹. Subdivision requirements also remain relevant for agriculturally exempt land⁵. Durant, mainly in Cedar County but extending into Scott County, has city zoning; private septic systems in its Scott County portion remain under the Scott County Health Department^5,14. We could not confirm a lot-coverage limit; ask Planning & Development for the parcel’s district requirements².

Scott County Health Department, not the zoning or building office, administers the private sewage disposal system program⁵. A permit application is required to construct or reconstruct a system or abandon a septic tank; the construction permit costs $235, reconstruction $110 and tank abandonment $95⁶. A construction permit requires a prior site evaluation, and a contractor approved by the health officer must install the system⁶. No structure intended for human occupancy may be occupied until connected to an approved sewage disposal system or another disposal method approved by the health officer⁶. Environmental Health Services reviews soil analysis, checks system sizing, and inspects private systems before and after installation⁵. The office is at 600 W. 4th St. Davenport, IA 52801-1003 and its phone number is 563-326-8618⁵. Only about 3.1% of Scott County soils are rated “not limited” for a conventional septic drain field, so make the soil review an early feasibility step rather than assuming a standard trench system will work¹⁵. A time-of-transfer inspection costs $275⁵. Iowa requires a qualifying private system serving a building with one through four dwelling units to be inspected before an ownership transfer, subject to statutory exceptions¹⁶. The Health Department also reviews proposed subdivision plans for private sewage disposal and water supply⁵.

We could not confirm whether an RV may be used as a primary residence on unincorporated Scott County land. Tent camping is allowed only in approved Travel Trailer Parks, limited to 30 consecutive days and 104 days in a calendar year, and a Travel Trailer Park requires a special use permit¹³. A tiny home must meet the 640-square-foot dwelling standard, permanent foundation and real-property taxation, while a tiny home that is a travel trailer falls under the travel-trailer park and temporary-mobile-home-permit rules³. A manufactured home is legally different from a towable RV: Iowa counties cannot reject a residence solely because it is manufactured, but the home must meet the same permanent-foundation, setback and minimum-size standards that apply to a site-built house on the same lot⁸. Iowa's county accessory-dwelling rule took effect July 1, 2026, applies where a single-family residence is an allowed principal use, and still requires compliance with applicable building rules¹⁷. Ask Planning & Development about the exact parcel and proposed use before buying or moving a unit onto the site².

1. Confirm the parcel’s zoning district with Scott County Planning & Development using the county GIS zoning layer².
2. Check floodplain status: development in designated special flood hazard areas needs a separate floodplain permit, including agriculturally exempt structures¹⁰.
3. Arrange the septic site evaluation and soil review with Environmental Health Services before fixing the house location, and obtain the septic construction permit^5,6.
4. Obtain a Health Department well construction permit if using a private well⁹.
5. Submit the building-permit application with a plot plan, legal description, owner/builder information, two sets of plans, engineered plans when necessary and required RES check documentation; residential review generally takes 3-5 days¹².
6. Pay the building permit fee before issuance and ask Planning & Development for the construction inspection schedule^4,12.
7. Obtain Iowa Department of Transportation approval before work on an entrance onto an Iowa primary highway¹⁸.

Before buying unincorporated Scott County land, confirm the zoning district, proposed use and floodplain designation with Planning & Development^2,10. If dividing land, ask about preliminary and final plat approval: the Planning and Zoning Commission recommends action to the Board of Supervisors, and preliminary approval lasts 12 months unless extended¹⁹. Environmental Health Services also reviews proposed subdivisions for septic systems and water supply⁵. Only about 3.1% of county soils are rated “not limited” for conventional septic drain fields; site evaluation is essential, and the rating does not mean septic is impossible¹⁵. A private well construction permit costs $315⁹. Verify road access; an entrance onto an Iowa primary highway requires state approval before work begins¹⁸. Scott County’s effective property-tax rate is about 1.5%, with a median annual bill of about $3,221; use these countywide figures for budgeting rather than as a parcel-specific quote¹⁵.